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Diabetes cuts short life by 6 years--study
by Neelam Goswami - March 4, 2011 - comments
As people continue to gain weigh and lead sedentary lives, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates a third of U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050
Developing diabetes in middle age can cut short your life by an average of six years, say researchers. It is not just diabetes that kills them.
Doctors know that diabetics have a greater risk dying of heart attack or stroke, but for the first time the Cambridge-led study on Wednesday showed that having type 2 diabetes increases the risk of dying prematurely from many diseases including cancer, infections, liver disease, kidney disease, metal disorders, and even suicide. Type 2 occurs when the body makes too little insulin or can not use what it makes to control blood sugar.
Better understanding of diabetes needed
As the number of diabetics is expected to rise in the coming decades, experts feel diabetes should be understood better.
"These findings highlight even more the need to prevent diabetes and to understand it better," said Emanuele Di Angelantonio of Britain's Cambridge University, who worked on the study.” They show that diabetes is not only a cardiovascular risk factor, but is linked as well to other conditions."
After taking into account such factors as age, sex, obesity and smoking, the study showed diabetes increased the odds of dying from cancer by 25 percent, and also contributed to the death from liver and kidney disease, and infection. Diabetics are prone to liver and pancreatic cancer, colorectal or bowel cancer, and lung cancer.
Study details
The study involving more than 250 scientists from 25 countries explored the link between type 2 diabetes and reduced life expectancy.
The researchers collated and analyzed data from nearly 100 previous studies that involved more than 820,000 people throughout the world. The study has been coordinated by the University of Cambridge.
"A 50-year-old with diabetes died, on average, six years earlier than a counterpart without diabetes," said Cambridge University's John Danesh, who also worked on the study.
After taking into account such factors as age, sex, obesity and smoking, the study showed diabetes increased the odds of dying from cancer by 25 percent, and also contributed to the death from liver and kidney disease, and infection. Diabetics are prone to liver and pancreatic cancer, colorectal or bowel cancer, and lung cancer.
Diabetes on epidemic levels
Cases of disease are reaching epidemic levels with an estimated 280 million people or 6.4 percent of world’s population suffering from it. The rate is expected to increase further as the obesity rates shoot up.
As people continue to gain weigh and lead sedentary lives, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates a third of U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050.
"Preventing diabetes becomes that much easier when we have a complete picture of the debilitating effect it has across the body and we know what steps to take to mitigate the damage," said Stephen Holgate of Britain's Medical Research Council.
Future concerns of the disease
The findings shed light on the potential burden of disease that will build in the future as the number of cases of diabetes is predicted to rise dramatically in coming decades.
"These findings highlight even more the need to prevent diabetes and to understand it better," said Angelantonio.
"They show that diabetes is not only a cardiovascular risk factor, but is linked as well to other conditions."